


WildeHopps: Chapters

by HyenaInASportsBra



Category: Zootopia
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-24 20:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14362809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyenaInASportsBra/pseuds/HyenaInASportsBra
Summary: A series of romance fan fiction about ZPD cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. They range from the silly to the sad, all dedicated to one of the most famous animated animal couples of all time.





	1. Nick Cries Alone At Night

**Author's Note:**

> So way way back, not long after Zootopia premiered, i became pretty obsessed with the movie and shipping Nick and Judy. i had a bunch of head canons and thoughts and hopes and dreams for them, so i bit the bullet and started to write fan fiction. I've moved on from predominantly WildeHopps stuff, but a large chunk of what got me to write fiction again were these two. Now I'm taking everything i published on my Tumblr and putting it here in a nice, neat little archive.
> 
> These are somewhat in a loose canon of their own, but don't necessarily take place in a linear fashion. Some are much shorter than others, some are more serious, some are just silly speculation.
> 
> This first one, originally titled "Nick Cries Alone At Night" the first fan fiction i've ever written, started as little more than a list of head canons for Nick and Judy that i wrapped a little story around.
> 
> Hope you enjoy these. thanks!

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take the wheel, Carrots?”

“Don’t call me Carrots. And no, you still don’t have a license.”

“I’m working on it! My teacher says I’m very advanced for my age.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” grumbled Judy. She squinted through the rain hammering the windshield of the cruiser. The Rainforest District was more rain than forest that afternoon. The lights of houses and businesses twinkled like distant, blurry stars through the dark and the rain. She heard the metal briefcase full of incriminating files and photos rattle in the backseat. Monsoon season was a tough time to transport important evidence through the humid jungle community, but Judy, of course, cheerily volunteered.

Her partner, not so much.

His coffee long gone, Nick reclined in the passenger seat, trying not to focus on the cruiser’s shifting tires, threatening to hydroplane on the narrow road.

“You can slow down, you know we’re in absolutely no hurry, sweetheart.”

“Nick, just let me concentrate,” she tolerated - even liked - the little nicknames sometimes. But now was not that time. She figured this would’ve been an easy get; they’d pushed it hard for the last few weeks, made a few major busts and added some sparkling bullet points to their records. She was starting to regret not checking the weather before taking off.

“Alright, sorry, geez,” sighed the fox. “Appreciate the little road trip, though. Nice to put my feet up on an assignment for a change.” He stretched his paws out on the dash, letting out an exaggerated yawn.

“Glad you’re having fun!” Judy forced a grin. The rain gushed harder, the Canopy blocking any sunlight left in the sky. She could barely see the slivers of white paint on the pavement, putting the bunny further on edge. Just a little longer, she thought, pushing the gas pedal just a hair. Just get out of this rain…

“Hopps, you are really close to the edge, okay?” Nick said, peering out the window.

“Nick, I really hate it when you doubt me. Do you really think I can’t drive in a little rain?” She was shouting, her ears ramrod straight.

Nick opened his mouth, but he was cut off.

The car bucked and skidded. She would have rolled across the cabin, if not for her seatbelt. Nick was shouting something, but the sound of crunching metal drowned him out. The car rolled, tumbling off the road and bounced like a toy over the embankment, destroying branches and vines along the way.

Dazed, it was a long moment before Judy realized the car had come to a stop, more or less right-side up. The rain patterned outside, leaves and debris still rattling against the cracked windshield.

“Oh no… Nick,” she muttered, dizzily searching with a paw around the cabin. “Nick?”

“I’m okay, I’m alright,” he gasped, crawling his way from the back seat. “What about you?” She could hear him instinctively sniffing around.

“I’m okay, I think.“ She patted herself down, groaning as she unbuckled the seatbelt.

“Good… Good,” he nodded, settling back into the seat, breathing hard. “Boy, these things can take a beating,” he whistled, noting the solid windows, cracked but holding.

Judy sat bolt upright, and instantly regretted it.

“The evidence! …ow.” Her tail was bruised.

“Safe and sound,” said Nick smugly, holding up the clasped metal briefcase.

Judy sighed with relief. 

“Oh, Nick, I’m so sorry,“ she dropped her head onto the steering wheel, her ears drooping. “I really messed up. We could have been killed!”

“Well, we weren’t, were we, carrots? Despite your best efforts,” he conceded. “Don’t worry, Bogo will probably only suspend you a few months at most.“

Judy groaned, and pounded her head on the steering wheel.

“Can you get Clawhauser on the radio?” She said dejectedly.

“Uh, that might be a bit of a problem, Judes.“ Nick pointed at the radio embedded in the dashboard. The case around the radio was cracked and bent, the wires dangling from the bottom while a thin curl of smoke rose from the speaker.

“Argh! Then, can you get our pawsets from the bag?” She asked, looking at her partner. “You grabbed the bag right?”

Nick looked out the windshield, unmoving.

“I think it’s important that we don’t assign blame.”

Judy sighed, her paws dangling helplessly.

“Our phones are in the bag, weren’t they?”

“Sure are.”

“We’re too far away from the road to signal anyone, aren’t we?”

“Spot on.”

“Great. That’s great. We’re great cops.“

“The best.” Nick agreed.

Judy just glared. She tried to start the cruiser, and only received harsh metal grinding from the engine. Even the electricity was out.

Oh well, she thought. We’ve faced worse!

“Well, Nick,” she declared with her effortlessly sunny way that Nick both loved and hated. “Grab your raincoat, looks like, we’re hoofing it!“

“You know I love your enthusiasm and determination, Carrots,” replied Nick, pointing out and upward. “But you’re the only one making it up that hill.”

Judy followed his gaze, staring up at the tangled, muddy mass of roots, broken branches, and rocks. He was, unfortunately, right. It would’ve been little trouble to the nimble rabbit, but the taller fox was not a particularly strong climber. Plus, he hated having his fur wet.

She slipped into the rain jacket, and cracked the door.

“Sit tight, Nick, I’ll be back in two shakes!“

“Have fun!” Sang the fox. He tossed the briefcase into the backseat and reclined in the seat again, slipping on his sunglasses.

She started to slide off the seat and out into the pouring rain, but something tugged at her. She took a look back at her partner, and a strange, sinking feeling settled into her stomach. She closed the door.

“Not a fan of the weather?” He teased.

“Not especially,” she said, getting back in her seat. “Mom always said the best thing to do in this situation is to just sit tight and wait for help.”

“Good call, mama Hopps. We’ll sit tight and wait.”

“Yeah, no problem,” she allowed herself a laugh. “So… What should we do until then?”

Tic Tac Toe. Eye Spy. 20 Questions. Every word game in the book. Riddles. Kids riddles. Kids jokes. Puns. Judy punching Nick. Nick regretting the puns.

She looked at his watch.

“It’s only been and HOUR!?!” She groaned, pulling her floppy ears over her face. “We may actually die here. Of boredom.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Nick hummed. “Or we could sit here in the rain and reveal our deepest, darkest secrets to each other.”

The suggestion took Judy by surprise. Was he serious? Sometimes it was impossible to tell with Nick.

“R-really?“ She searched his face, but there was only that stupid smirk. She suddenly smiled. He was joking, most likely, just trying to get under her skin. He really enjoyed doing that. But this time she would call his bluff, and play his little game.

Let’s see how far we can push Mr. Wilde, she thought.

“Okay, I’ll start,” she said, leaning back.

“No, really, Carrots, I was just kidding-.”

“Oh no, it’s quite okay! You’re my friend and I want to get to know you better!” You dug this hole, Nicholas, and you’re gonna lay in it. “I’ll start: I’m a really bad dancer.”

“Oh come on, Hopps, these are supposed to be secrets!” Nick guffawed, baring his pearly white points.

“Oh shut up! She said, rolling her eyes, ears red. “Your turn, Wilde.”

He cleared his throat. “I used to dye my fur a slightly deeper red.”

Judy stifled a giggle, imagining her cucumber-cool fox standing over a sink applying hair dye to his various parts.

“Hey, I thought this was a judgement-free crashed police cruiser!”

“Oh, sorry, officer Wilde, I thought poking fun at the other was part of the rules!”

“Fair enough, fluff. Your turn.”

“I cheated on a test once, in third grade.”

“The scandal!” Nick stared at her, mouth agape in mock surprise.

“I had spent all night reading and I was too tired to study, and I just happened to listen into Bobby Caterwall who always whispered his answers out loud even though he thought no one could hear him,” she said in a hurry, using far too many words to justify cheating in a third grade history test. “Your turn, ‘Red’.”

“All the clothes I own other than my uniform are flower-print button-downs.”

“You gotta be joking!” she giggled.

He shook his head.

“When do I have the time to shop?”

“What do you mean, you don’t do anything outside of work!”

“You’d be surprised, farm-girl,” said Nick, smirking at her over the rim of his sunglasses.

“We’re changing that when we get out of this.”

“Sure, sure, right after your next turn.”

Judy hummed in thought, trying to think of something Nick might find juicy. Her ears twitched when she found something, turning to hide her face a little.

“When I was twelve, I took the family tractor for a joyride, and crashed it into the fence. I blamed it on my sister Janey and never copped to it.”

A peal of foxy laughter rang out.

“Wow, Carrots, you criminal! How did you get away with that one?”

“Janey was actually out with a boy that night, and was deathly afraid of mom and dad finding out. She’d rather be punished for the accident than the alternative.” she shrugged, pleased that she had tickled the fox so much. “Your turn.”

“I know exactly where Finnick is and what he’s been up to,” he admitted without hesitation. “I play cards with him every other week or so.”

This time, Judy’s mouth was agape.

“You lied to the chief! You said you lost track of him!”

“Yeah well,” Nick shrugged. “Finnick’s still my friend. As much as we butted heads, he stuck by me for years. He’s laying low, and I think there’s more important things the ZPD should be focusing on.”

Judy smiled, legs dangling off the side of the seat.

“That’s actually really sweet,” said cooed, giving his arm a little punch. “Ya big softie.”

“Ow! You know you’re a lot stronger than you think, Hopps?” he said, rubbing his arm.

“Sorry.” she giggled. “I snoop in the evidence room when I’m bored.”

“That is most definitely illegal.”

“Whaaaaat, no, it’s fine, I have good reasons to be down there… usually.”

“I’m pretty sure everyone does it.”

“Definitely.”

They both laughed for a while, then grew quiet, just listening to the rain patter from above.

What Nick said next caught his partner completely off-guard. She expected something about an old flame, or some prank he played on Bogo. Maybe even something even more illegal and dangerous than his Pawpsicle scheme. But his words struck her in a way so strange and personal, she was left feeling speechless and numb for a moment. The sensation gave way into confusion, tinged with guilt. She stared at him sitting in the passenger seat, still looking out the window at the rivulets of water down the window. His posture had changed, now curled up, his fluffy tail tucked under him. His back was almost to her. His ears drooped a little.

“I don’t really like to be touched.”

“…huh?” she said dumbly after a moment.”

“Touched. Physical contact. It’s like claws on a chalkboard, but like a feeling instead of a sound.” He looked at her over his shoulder, with those piercing green eyes.

“Really? Like… from anything?”

“From other mammals. It feels rough and alien. I don’t really know why. I can’t stand it. Always felt that way.”

She blinked, and tried to think of an instance that conflicted with his admission. He did have a habit of avoiding those congratulatory high-fives. He seemed to wince if someone went to pat his shoulder, or move him before a larger animal tried to step over him. She had laughed at him on the subway watching him squeeze into the smallest corner possible to avoid an oblivious hippo in business casual. There was another pang of guilt when she thought of the contact she may have forced on him.

He seemed to know what she was thinking, which wasn’t unusual. He knew the bunny like the back of his paw, a fact she sometimes resented. But that didn’t matter at the moment.

“It’s okay, Carrots, don’t sweat it. It’s not like I’m going to freak out about it. I just… stay out of peoples’ way.”

“But, what about…” she frowned, trying to find the most sensitive way to put it.

“All the unwarranted hugs and punches from my partner?” he smirked, and it made her feel a little better. “It’s funny, actually. It’s different with you.”

“Really?” her ears drooped

“Maybe it’s your paws are so much smaller. Or softer. Or maybe I just like you. I don’t mind you so much…”

She bit her lip, cheeks hot. The corners of her violet eyes misted. She opened her mouth.

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry, Judy Hopps,” he said. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. Actually,” he brightened, turning back to her. “It feels pretty good to tell someone that.”

“No problem,” she replied, trying to discreetly wipe her eye. “Happy be your therapist I guess.”

She looked down at her feet, still compelled to share something. Nick had opened such a tender window, why shouldn’t she?

“I like how you smell,” she blurted. Oh, crackers, she thought, immediately looking away, ears reddening.

His smile turned into a little smirk, eyebrow raised.

“So you do sneak little sniffs when you walk by my desk! I thought I heard that little nose twitch the other day!” he wiggled in his seat as if he were trying to waft the air toward her. “Do you like what you smell, Carrots? Like the Eau d'Fox?”

“Ew, no! Stop! You reek of coffee and burgers!” she laughed, still red in the face as she tried to repel it. Her nose demanded more.

“Glad I don’t turn your stomach,” he chuckled.

“You’re… you’re not so bad.”

He grew quiet again, and seemed to be considering something.

“I have to reiterate that this is a judgement-free vehicle. Okay?”

“You’re my best friend, dumb fox,” Judy smiled, happy to change the subject. “Nothing leaves this car.”

They were facing each other now, feet up, both leaning against the doors.

“Okay,” he drew himself up. “I have casually worn my girlfriends’ clothes.”

Her jaw dropped. How many more bombs was this fox going to drop?

He held up a finger to remind her of her promise. She raised her paws to reassure him she would keep it.

“They’re comfortable and fashionable! A skirt feels nice on the fur in those Sahara summer months,” he continued, including a few details about his favorite brands, cuts, and color schemes. She had to admit, the lean fox would look amazing in a slinky dress. She shook her head, trying not to get lost in her thoughts.

“Hey, whatever you like! There’s no judgement here!” She wondered if emerald was his color. It was her turn, she realized. How much farther should I go? He keeps cracking deeper and deeper. I don’t want to push him. But I don’t want to hold back either. She bit her lip.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend.”

Nick regarded her with a sly smile.

“Would it be mean to say that I’m not surprised?”

“Yes. Yes it would.” she retorted, pursing her lips and crossing her arms.

“Hey, don’t sweat it, Judes. Although, I bet you left a trail of broken hearts all the way from Bunny Burrow. So many hopeless farm bunny boys pining for a girl who ignored them in favor of her career,” he mused, resting his cheeks in his paws in whimsy.

She laughed.

“You might not be too far from the truth. There were plenty of boys to go around… None of them interested me.”

Nick shrugged. 

“So uh, you have had girlfriends then?” She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. His love life was another area shrouded in mystery. She was undeniably curious, but had yet to find a way to pierce that veil.

“A few,” he toyed, looking at her wistfully. “None that seem to be able to handle the old Wilde charms for very long. They just… couldn’t cut it.” A smirk was plastered to his face, eyes hidden behind the enormous mirrored sunglasses.

Judy eyed him.

“Nick…?” he was being distant again, behind that slick veneer of cool detachment.

He sighed softly. He gives it up sooner and sooner, she noted.

“I don’t, uh… See, sometimes girls have these, expectations…” he fumbled, rubbing his arm nervously. She let him talk, just watching him.

“I like being the little spoon.” It came out almost as a squeak. “I like being held. And complimented. And romanced… I like the idea of some woman swinging into my life and really sweeping me off my feet, who’ll keep me guessing… Just a dream, though.“

He looked back at Judy. He wasn’t sure what he expected. He was greeted with his rabbit partner smiling gleefully, paws covering her mouth as her eyes twinkled.

"Ok, carrots, go ahead and laugh…” His ears lay flat.

“Oh, no, Nick…! That’s so sweet!” She clasped her paw over her chest. “I think it’s great that you want that, and there’s nothing wrong with it. You’re a wonderful person; you deserve it. I’m sorry no one has met your needs… Yet.” She added hastily.

“Thanks, Hopps… Judy. No one… I didn’t think anyone would listen to this mushy stuff. Especially from me.” A warm smile made its way back to his face.

“You can tell me anything, Nick. You’re my best friend. I will never, ever look down on you for how you feel,” she said softly. Her heart was like jelly. Nothing made her feel worse than knowing Nick was hurt.

He was quiet again, looking back at the rain and the swaying trees outside. She could see his breath on the window pane, a soft mist rising and falling from the wet glass.

“Sometimes, at night, when it’s really, really late, and my day was really, really long, and I’ve seen and heard all I can take, I pull every blanket I have on top, bury my face in a pillow… And I cry. I cry so hard my stomach hurts and my pillow gets soaked. I cry about my job, about my parents, about you and everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know how else to get it all out, except to wait until no one can see or hear me, and cry until I’m too exhausted to stay awake. Then I get up the next day and I’m ready to let it all hit me again, until the next night I need to cry.”

Judy tried and tried, but could not find the words. She only lifted a tiny, grey little paw at her partner, her cheeks wet with tears.

“Let me guess, Carrots, I know you want to tell me it’s healthy and okay, or cry or whatever bunnies do,” He tried to put on a smirk.

“Well… It is. It’s okay to do that, Nick,” she said, her voice as still as dew. “I just want you to know its okay to do it more often. You don’t have to bottle it.” She couldn’t hold back a sniffle.

“What an absolutely bunny answer,” He joked. He barely kept his voice from cracking.

Judy slid from her seat, starting to climb over the middle console. He watched her, blinking. She asked the question with her eyes, and he nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds good right now.”

She all but pounced him, wrapping her arms around him as she bit her lip and pressed her nose into his neck. Her insides shook as he returned the gesture, pulling her tightly, his paw under her soft, drooping ears.

“You can always cry to me.”

He just nodded, his tail curled beneath him as they snuggled into the car seat, simply happy to have one another in that moment.

“…how did you crash it?”

“What?”

“The tractor. What did you do, carrots?” He looked down at her with his sneaky little smile, his face still wet.

“Tried to get it past the gate. Misjudged the distance. Put it right into a post. Ran right around to the back door, pretended to be just as surprised as everyone else,” she giggled, wiping her cheeks. “Took us days to fix that fence.”

They laughed together, neither one willing to be the first to break the hug.

And then the car shifted.

The sound of creaking metal pricked their ears, followed by the scrape of the metal briefcase as it slid across the back seat and clattered to the floor. The outside began to tilt sideways as the ground on the passenger side rose to the window.

“We’re sinking.”

“The mud!”

They scrambled out of the seat, trying not to trip each other up as they rushed to the driver side door. Nick pushed her, a bit more forcefully than necessary, but the rabbit had no time to argue. Judy yanked the handle, grunting with effort as she shoved the door open. The sinking vehicle was nearly sideways now, the rain splattering down on them. Judy climbed to the side of the car and whipped around, holding out her paw.

He paused.

“The evidence!” He darted to the back seat, his fluffy red tail disappearing.

“Nick no!” She shouted, trying to grab that tail.

He popped back around, almost triumphantly, and deftly tossed the briefcase out into the rain.

“See, Hopps, I got this!” He reached for her paw.

And stopped just short. He suddenly howled in pain, and Judy could see why. The end of his tail was pinned between the seats, the metal bending in just the right way to pinch shut. He looked back at her wildly, fear in his eyes.

“Hold on, hold on!”

As nimbly as ever, she jumped down into the sinking, shrinking cabin, and gripped the fuzzy thing.

“Nick, I’m sorry!”

“Carrots-!“ His protest was cut by a shriek of pain as his tail was freed.

Together they hauled themselves out of the car and onto the slick, muddy ground, clawing at the mud and onto the solid roots of the enormous trees supporting the Rainforest District’s Canopy.

Wordlessly, they gripped one another, just for the reassurance that both were safe. The metal briefcase gleamed on the ground beside them. Judy tightened her grip on the fox.

“So that makes, the sixth, seventh time you’ve saved my life, Hopps?”

“I’ve lost count, really.”

“Yeah that sounds right,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. He tilted his head to look at her. “If you hadn’t stayed in the car, I’d have sank with it.”

“I know,” she said, a chill going down her spine at the thought. She buried her face in his neck.

“At least all those embarrassing secrets went with it.”

She laughed. Out of relief, out of disbelief, out of joy. He was still in her arms.

“Ow… Guess it wasn’t just secrets,” he said, lifting his tail. The last few inches had been sheared clean of fur, twitching painfully.

“It could’ve been worse…”

They were suddenly wreathed in brilliant white light, the rain dazzling their eyes.

“It’s the aliens, they’ve finally come for us, Scully!“

“What?” She shouted over the sound of beating helicopter blades.

“It’s from that show, the one with the two agents- never mind, I’ll show you later!”

“HOPPS! WILDE! ARE YOU DOWN THERE?!” Came the booming voice of the Chief of the ZPD from the speakers aboard the rescue helicopter above.

“Of course he asks about you first,” he teased.

“I will yank off the rest of that tail.”

“Noted.”

They were swiftly brought aboard the rescue helicopter, the medical team giving them a once-over and bandaging Nick’s tail before wrapping them in thick blankets and buckling them in snugly. The beat of the copter wings drowned out most sound, even Bogo directing the search and rescue team. Judy closed her eyes as the copter lifted higher into the air, soaring out of the Rainforest District.

She felt a hand wrap around her own. She looked up at Nick, his face obscured by the heavy blanket pulled over his head, wink at her. With her free hand, she touched the side of her pink nose.

'Thanks’, he mouthed.

She only smiled, holding tightly to his hand, and laid her head on his shoulder.


	2. Just Practicing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy have a little girly time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always written Nick with a feminine lean, and this is just a bit more of that.

“How did you learn to do this?” Said Judy, marveling as the fox held her paw delicately and applied another careful coat of the polish on her claw.

“My mom, believe it or not,” he smirked, letting the tip of his pink tongue peek between his dark lips. “She worked… a lot, sometimes. She took every opportunity to do stuff with me, which didn’t always mean going out to dinner or to the movies. It was the smaller things, like doing her nails, that I remember best.”

Nick blew gently on Judy’s paw, admiring his handiwork. He really was a pro, leaving the coats even and shiny.

“That’s so sweet,” cooed Judy. She looked up at the green-eyed fox as he narrowed his eyes and started on the next one. She imagined him holding his mom’s paws as he lapped the tiny brush over her clawtip, looking to his mother for approval. Her heart melted at the thought.

“There we go,” he dipped the brush back in and set her paw down gently.

“I never really got to do any of this stuff,” admitted Judy, smiling down at her glimmering nails. “We worked outside and did the chores and took care of the fields, that kinda stuff. Not a lot of time – or use – to get uh, pretty like this.”

“Happy to oblige, sweetheart,” he said.

“I’m not letting you break your promise, you know.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he smiled and sorted through the little bottles she’d selected. “Well, what are we going with?”

He had some thoughts about what to use, but he kept those to himself. He wanted her to choose, to see what colors worked best. This was her time to experiment, after all. She made her selection and held the bottle up to to his fur in the light of the desk lamp in her apartment.

“I think I like this one.”

“A classic.”

“I think so.”

“Okay, have at.” the fur on his neck tingle as her soft, warm little paw held one of his dark fingers in the light, unscrewing the top and brushing the excess polish on the lip. “Oops, wait a moment.”

She blinked in confusion at him as he reach over and swished the tall bottle on the desk.

“Okay, we’re good. Plenty of remover for your mistakes,” he said, holding back a snicker.

“Oh, ha ha, Mr. Wilde,” she punched his arm playfully. It still sort of hurt.

He watched her, holding his paw perfectly still as she squinted and brushed this way and that around the little claw. She did a pretty good job for a newbie. He had to keep her from being too disappointed with mistakes, if she globbed too much on or smudged one that was still wet. That’s what remover is for, dear, he told her. He remembered his mother telling him that. The mistakes are just a part of getting better at it, she’d said.

“Nick? How’s that?” She was asking him, looking up at him expectantly. “Nick?”

He snapped back to the present.

“Looks spectacular, Carrots.” He wasn’t lying.

“Thanks, Nick,” she grinned. “Ok, hoofs up, I’m getting those toes!”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

 

-

 

The bullpen was buzzing. The ladies were still murmuring to each other, and more than a few of the guys. Judy sat at her customary spot at the front, still looking cool as a cucumber. The normally-quiet McHorn even mumbled a ‘hello’ with a smile. Bogo, of course, hardly noticed. His thick brow furrowed as he noted who was missing. He flipped on his tiny reading glasses and opened his mouth to address his officers.

He was cut off by the bullpen door opening as a certain red fox sashayed into the room, wearing those dark sunglasses and sipping from an enormous cup of coffee. He strolled down the aisle amid squeals and giggles of disbelief as though it were a red carpet welcome, and climbed into the seat next to his partner.

“So good of you to join us, Wilde,” said Bogo in his usual, sandy tone.

“Good morning to you too, Chief,” he replied.

Bogo rolled his eyes and went on with the day’s assignments.

“Nice nails,” whispered Judy.

“You, too, Carrots,” Nick whispered back, casually splaying his cherry-red claws for all to see.


	3. Nick's Apartment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short fic based on some concept art of Nick’s home.

Savannah Central rolled past as Officers Hopps and Wilde made their way back to ZPD Headquarters. It was a slow, warm day, and most of the city seemed content to stay indoors and be lazy. Nick envied them, but he knew he had a job to do. At least he could poke at Carrots all day. It was his favorite past time.

He glanced at his watch. 11:47.

“Wanna grab lunch, bun-bun?” he yawned.

“'Bun-bun’? Thats a new one,” replied her partner, eyeing a cafe on their left. She was a little hungry.

“It’s on a trial run. So, lunch, yay or nay?”

“I could eat,” she hummed. Bun-bun wasn’t that bad.

“Oh, take a left here, I need to grab something from my place,” he pointed, leaning over the dash board.

“Oh, uh, sure!” Judy slowed, jumping into the next lane and hanging a sharp left onto Cypress Grove lane, narrowly avoiding the rodent lane along the curb. She shouted an apology to the tiny fist-shaking denizens.

Judy’s interest piqued as they drifted down the road. Nick guided her to an older apartment building on the 1600 block, several stories tall and nestled between two larger, more modern structures. It wasn’t too different from the Armadillo Arms, she realized. She had never seen Nick’s apartment, and had spent more than a little time wondering about his living arrangements. For a while she wondered if he just lived in Finnick’s van.

“I’ll wait for you!” she offered helpfully.

“No no, come on in!” Nick hopped out of the car and up the front steps.

She followed him into the lobby and to the lift, noting the chubby muskrat who didn’t even bother looking up from the Rodentia edition of the Zootopia Tribune. Nick skipped the buttons for floors one through five and tapped B2: sub-basement. The lift shook as the gears ground, going down into the depths of the building.

“We won’t be too long,” assured Nick over the din of the ancient machine. “So, stir-fry? Maybe something over on Fifth and Vine?”

“Uh, sure, whatever you want,” Judy squeaked, her ears lowered to block the screeching.

The lift finally came to a halt with a distressing ‘whump’, and the doors opened into utter blackness.

“Nick…?”

“Don’t worry, Carrots, I got it,” the fox chirped as he slipped into the shadows. A second later, the pair were bathed in a dusty, red light, all the way to the boiler room in the back. “I’m right down here!”

Judy followed him, eyes wandering over the rust-speckled pipes and modest collection of spiderwebs decorating the walls. Dripping water echoed down the hallway, as did their footsteps on the bare concrete. They turned a corner and came to a slightly larger space, crowded by twisting and bending pipes of varying sizes, several of them leaking into strategically-placed buckets and pots. Nick’s ears grazed the lowest pipes as he strode into the room. The smell of mildew dominated the air, and cleaning supplies filled one corner of the room. A chest of drawers designed for a much larger animal, also set with water-catching pots, sat against the wall. Everything in the room, including the nightstand with its ill-fitting door and flickering alarm clock, to the threadbare throw rug on the floor, to the pipe used as a clothes rack, was under constant threat of being moistened.

“Just make yourself at home for a minute!” Nick began rummaging through a stack of suitcases that seemed to function as a wardrobe. Judy cautiously wandered from the 'living room’ to what appeared to be a kitchen, with a squat, leaky refrigerator and a sad little range, still underneath the ever-present pipes. The blueberry-print mug she had gotten him for his birthday sat above everything, well away from where it could be touched by the filth. Her ears twitched as she caught the sound of little legs skittering behind the counter.

She shuddered, astounded, and turned to her fellow officer and friend.

“Nick, you… you live here?”

“Well, I know it’s not the Wooldorf-Astoria, Carrots,” he replied, half-looking up from the drawer he was searching in.

“Aren’t you a little… concerned about the condition?”

“Yeah, it’s not gorgeous, and sometimes I have to beat the mold back with a stick,” He shrugged; Judy gagged. “It’s not like I can afford much nicer.”  
He opened the bottom drawer, ruffling through an old blanket and a pillow. He climbed in, digging around the corners as Judy noticed that it was perfectly sized for a fox curled up in a little sleep-donut.

“What do you mean? I thought you said you made quite a bit before…” she started, leaving the events of the last year unsaid.

“That’s one of a few things I didn’t lie about, Carrots.” He kept searching, moving to the night stand and dragging out bits and bobs of a hundred little things. “Some of that was going to mom, a bit to food, but the rest- well, rent isn’t cheap in Savannah Central.”

“Well, now at least you have consistent income,” she said, a little exasperated. “Have you at least started looking for a new place?”

“Step ahead of you there,” he picked through the pile from the nightstand. “But they never get too far past the application stage.” He left the obvious implication unsaid, sorting through a litany of broken watches.

“Nick, can I ask how much you’re paying to live here?” Her ears were slowly drooping, and she shivered as she stepped in a moist spot on the throw rug.

He crossed the apartment and continued his search through the drawers in his kitchen. He hummed and hesitantly coughed a number into his paw.

Judy’s ears stood taller than the fox had ever seen them.

“What?!” she explained, jaw dropping. “That’s crazy! That’s as much as the suites on the top floors! How can they get away with this?”

“They just can, Hopps,” Nick let his ears and tail drop, pausing his search. “The vast majority of property owners around here are Prey mammals. They see 'Predator’ on the application, and it ends up in a pile, that usually ends up in the trash. We don’t have much say in it.”

“B-but,” she sputtered, paws balled into tiny gray fists. “There are laws against that sort of thing!”

“Discrimination against 'physical attributes’, not explicitly species,” said Nick pointedly. “It’s a loophole that landlords love to use. No one seems terribly eager to get it changed, either.” He shrugged, and moved aside some empty matchboxes. “A lot of predators are in a similar situation. Especially small predators like me. Why d'you think Finnick lives in a van?”

He suddenly held up a tiny gold button in triumph.

“Here we go, I knew I had an extra one somewhere! Clawhauser popped a button on his shirt this morning, and I told him I had a replacement. We can drop by headquarters then on to lunch, what d'ya say, Carrots?… Carrots?”

She’d gone dead silent, her ears hanging low. Nick took a half step back from the grim-faced bunny. Her pink lips lay in a thin line, jaw clamped tightly. Her fuzzy faced seemed still, but her eyes betrayed a burning, righteous indignation the likes of which Nick had never seen before.

Judy got mad sometimes. But Judy never got this mad.

“Pack your things, Nicholas, you’re not staying here another night,” she growled through gritted teeth. “And tomorrow we’re going apartment shopping!”

Nick wisely didn’t protest. He threw together a suitcase, and was all but dragged out by the wrathful rabbit, who didn’t skip giving the muskrat at the desk an earful. Nick had to do the dragging before the rodent ran for his life.

Nick slept in Judy’s apartment for three nights while they searched, and the fox settled into far more pleasant housing a few blocks from his partner’s place. It took another two months of string-pulling and a hastily-raised public campaign to close the loophole in the law. Afterward, there were far fewer occupied basements throughout the Zootopia.


	4. Even Exchange: Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy has some questions about foxes. Nick has questions about bunnies. They settle on a little harmless exploration to answer them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wound up being WAY LONGER THAN I MEANT, but it turned out okay, i think.

Judy fidgeted on the bed, ears twitching, burying her feet under the sheets and pressing her shoulders against the wall. Nick slurped at his smoothie cup, green eyes the flickering images on Judy’s laptop in front of them. She fiddled with the hem of her oversized shirt, picked at the popcorn left in the bowl, and tried to focus on the movie. Anything to distract her from the burning question she was dying to ask.

It was Nick’s second night away from his grimy apartment. His little nest of sheets and pillows spread out between Judy’s bed and her desk, his scuffed, secondhand suitcases stacked in her closet. They had taken the day to apartment hunt for Nick, then a dinner of over-stuffed sandwiches and sticky-sweet smoothies. Night had settled on the city, and the pair settled for a movie before bed. The neighbors were quiet, and had been so since Officer Wilde had gently reminded them that noise violations could carry a stiff penalty, especially for repeat offenders. In Nick’s company, Judy had slept better the last two nights than for the past few months. It made the 5:30am wake-ups a little easier.

The rabbit’s schedule was something she was sure the fox would have trouble adjusting to, but he put up little protest when her tiny alarm clock bleeped to life in the morning. He even went on a morning jog with her. She’d forgotten how nice it was to do that with someone close to her size. It had been a really nice few days, despite how riled up she had been upon discovering the state of Nick’s housing condition- and the condition many small predators lived in. The fox’s presence just had that effect on her, she decided. She felt safe and comfortable. Comfortable enough, she aslo decided, to make an intensely personal query.

It had started while they were getting take-out. Standing in line at the deli, Nick turned to her with that Wilde gleam in his eye.

“Hey, Hopps,” he said, motioning at the pig running the counter.

“Yeah, Nick?” she sighed, her ears lifting. She new what was coming, and was already resigned to her fate.

“D'you think he serves kosher?”

“Nick,” she chided, like she always did.

He laughed, his nose scrunched cutely, his tongue sneaking out. His white, pointed teeth glimmered in the cheap fluorescent lighting of the deli.

I wonder what those feel like, said Judy’s brain.

“Uh,” said Judy.

“Oh good, looks like we’re next,” said Nick.

The thought poked and niggled at her through the trip home, through dinner, and through most of the movie. She shouldn’t have to wonder that hard, she thought; she had already been fairly close to them. At least her neck had. But she was dying to know what the rest of them looked like and what they felt like on her paws. The curiosity gnawed at her. And the worst part was, Nick would appreciate the pun.

She fidgeted again, and knocked over the popcorn bowl.

Nick finally unstuck his eyes from the screen.

“You alright, carrots?” He leaned back, laying against the wall next to her.

“Yeah, totally, I’m great!” she said with droopy ears. Oh just ask him, Judy, she thought. “No, no I’m not. I uh, I have to ask you something, Nick.”

“Ok, shoot,” he replied, smirking at her as though her discomfort was another blueberry in his smoothie.

“Iwanttolookatyourteeth,” the words spilled out of her, ears a bright shade of red.

“Uh, what,” his ears flattened, a paw going to his cheek.

“Your teeth, Nick, your teeth. I just want to look at them. And uh, maybe touch them… a little maybe…?” she squeaked.

“Gotta admit, Judes, that’s not what I expected you to say,” he tilted his head at the bunny.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, I know it sounds so weird and intrusive, and I know your thing about personal contact, but,” she fretted. “I’ve never really been this close to a predator before. I mean close as in, not necessarily physically, you know, but I mean, in a relationship kind of way, you know? I mean that, you’re my friend, and I really, really trust you, and I feel comfortable asking you.”

She bit her lip, embarrassed at her own awkward blathering.

“Ok, ok, Hopps, calm down,” he assured her. “It’d be creepy if you weren’t so bunny about it.”

“Yeah, well it is weird,” she rubbed her arm, still blushing.

“Hmmm,” he clucked, thinking. “I tell you what, fluff. How about I make a deal with you?”

“What kind of deal?” she said suspiciously. She didn’t like the way he said deal.

“I’ll be more than happy to let you play dentist,” he teased, crossing his arms. “And I’ll let you examine whatever predatory attributes you want. But…”

Judy cringed.

“I get an even exchange.”

“What?” her face fell.

“An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, Carrots” he continued. “An even exchange. You get to check my handsome smile, and I get to scope yours, too.” he rolled his eyes at her quizzical look. “Hey, it’s not like any prey have ever let me get this close. You’re not the only one with questions.”

She nodded, having to concede his point.

“Okay. Fair.”

The fox smiled, and opened his mouth.

Judy watched his jaws part, his black lips a little wet. His teeth ran straight and clean, all the way to the back of his jowls. She murmured a ‘wow’. Foxes didn’t have the kind of equipment bears or large cats did, but Nick was still a comparatively big mammal to her, and his sharp, predatory teeth were fascinating up close and personal.

She reached forward in awe, and rubbed a finger against the left canine. It was hard and smooth as glass. She ran her index finger over the point, imagining how neatly it could pierce whatever the fox decided to bite down on. She let her fingers play over his bottom premolars, set solidly in his jaw, and farther on towards the ridges of his molars. His tongue twitched, like a soft pink blanket between rows of teeth. She touched it with her thumb, giggling as it flicked.

“Ha'ing hun?” mumbled the fox, his tongue lolling out again as his friend gently pushed at his dark lip to look at his tiny incisors.

“Shush,” she chided, tapping the little ivories at the front of his mouth. She was tempted to play with his lips some more, but his jaw must be cramping now. “Okay, I’m done.”

“Great,” grinned Nick. “Now say, 'Nick Wilde is amazing’!”

“Ha,” she rolled her eyes and finished her syllable with an open mouth.

He leaned in, green eyes blinking with curiosity. His fingers were warm against her smaller jaw, gently tilting her head back. Her tail stiffened, her nose twitching as the predator leaned in close.

She felt his thumb run over her prominent lapine incisors.

“So did rabbits evolve around eating carrots, or was it the other way around?” he hummed, squinting to look past her lips.

She shrugged, staying as still as possible. Was her heart racing?

He moved on from her incisors, and a gleeful smile spread across his face as his thumb rubbed and rolled her bottom lip.

“Wha?”

“Your little lip,” he said. “I never noticed how pink it is.”

Her ears nearly curled with embarrassment, turning crimson as the fox marveled at her face. She looked away, face hot.

He snickered, showing his brilliant teeth again, gleeful at having embarassed the bunny again.

“Okay, Officer Wilde,” she growled. “We’re not done yet!”


	5. Even Exchange: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut it in half so it wouldn't be so long.

“W-what?” he stammered, surprised as the rabbit jumped into his lap, reaching over his head and grasping his pointy, brown ears. He sat ramrod straight as she rubbed them from his skull to the tips, humming at the soft fur under her palms.

“Ooh, so soft and warm,” she teased, manipulating them around like a TV antenna.

“Ah, gentle, gentle!” he urged, ducking his head as the bunny leaned into him, pinching the tips of his ears and pulling them down.

“You look like you’re wearing a babuska! Hey-!” she giggled. Nick reached around her and slipped his paws around her long rabbit ears.

“Fair’s fair, carrots!”

“Fine,” she sighed, trying not to let him see her smile.

Her thumb brushed the inner fur of his ear, and she was rewarded with an exaggerated flick. She blinked, and did it again, and again the ear flicked.

“Hey, that tickles, you know,” he shivered. Judy giggled madly, making both ears flick over and over again at her light touches. “Okay, okay enough!” he playfully batted her paws away, forgetting his part of the exchange.

“Sorry, Nick,” Judy was still laughing, and reached up to his ears again. He moved to stop her, but she took the base of his ears and began to rub in apology.

The fox’s eyes went wide, and he inhaled sharply.

“Ooh, oh, right there!”

“What right here?” She scratched his left ear.

“Yeah, that, right there,” he hummed in satisfaction, leaning into her palm.

She stood scratching the fox’s ear for a while, standing on her tip-toes as he let out gurgles of pleasure, nuzzling into her chest. Judy let him, watching Nick drop his guard and enjoy himself. Judy silently enjoyed being so close to him.

“Paws,” he murmured.

“Huh?”

“Paws next,” he said sleepily. “Deal’s still on, carrots.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes and offered her tiny gray paws to him.

He rubbed her furry palm with his thumb, amused that the two were were of equal size.

“How can so much ferocity come from something so tiny?” He lamented, watching her little fingers curl around his.

She flipped her other paw, and commenced searching his black-skinned pads, squeezing his fingers like jelly beans in fascination. In a moment of pure impulse, she brought his hand to her face and rubbed her cheeks against it, allowing herself a hum of satisfaction. Nick smiled, cupping her cheek.

Judy suddenly grew self-conscious, pulling away from the fox and plopping back onto the bed.

“S-sorry,” she stammered, tugging at her ear.

“Don’t sweat it,” he said gently, turning back to the screen.

He was at a loss. He didn’t mind the bunny’s touchy-feely curiosity. It was actually kind of fun to let her get close to the notorious parts of a ‘dangerous’ predator. It amused him, even. Though now she had grown quiet. He hoped he hadn’t made her uncomfortable.

He jumped in shock as his tail was attacked from the shadows, a wiry bunny body curling around it.

“I thought we were done with this game.”

She looked up at him with her wide, innocent, purple eyes through a field of organ fur.

“But it’s so fluffy.”

He shrugged, admitting defeat.

“When you’re right, you’re right,” he patted her head as she snuggled into his tail. He was tempted to return the gesture… but he’d save that turn for another time, right when she least expected it.

“Nick?”

“Hm?” he turned to her, still nestled in his tail.

“Thanks. You’re sweet to let me be… weird with you.”

“Admittedly, I wouldn’t love you as much if you weren’t a weird little bunny,” he grinned, and she rolled her eyes.

“Okay,” she said, the tone of her voice making his hair stand up. “One more thing…”

The fox yelped as he was tackled to the bed, busy gray paws tickling rubbing the softness of his belly.

“Wait, wait, Carrots, what are you doing?” he protested, feebly attempting to fend her off.

She rubbed and scratched and tickled until she hit gold, squealing as Nick’s whole body stiffened and his foot began kicking at the air.

“Ha! I knew it!” She laughed, avoiding the flailing limb as Nick let out a whine, and finally falling into laughing with the attacking bunny.

“Okay, okay!” he chortled, cheeks wet with tears of laughter. “Satisfied now?”

“I think so,” she said, and flopped into his orange belly with a sigh.

“Weirdo.”

“You love me.”

He didn’t reply. He didn’t need to.


	6. I Love Your Daughter, Mrs. Hopps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy visit the extended Hopps family for Christmas, with a special guest in tow.

Holidays with the Hopps was chaotic at best. Bonnie Hopps was the defacto General commanding her army of kits, placing decorations, coordinating gift-getting and -wrapping, scheduling extended family visits, all according to the plan laid out by her master tactician Stu Hopps. No hand went idle.

This year especially bore a special spark of excitement in the cold, wintry air. The Hopps clan was expecting guests.

Not just any guests, either.

The Wildes were all coming to Bunnyburrow to spend the holidays.

Sure, the kits had met foxes. There was Gideon Grey, Mom & Dad’s portly pie-baking business partner. But this was different. They would get to socialize with them, and open presents with them, and see how they ate and slept and brushed their tails (how do their tails even work?) And ask all the burning questions they could think of.

As the rulers of this festive kingdom commanded on high in preparation of their celebrated guests, their wayward eldest daughter Judy was trying desperately to get their attention with a very important message.

“Mom-”

“The little sandwiches will be ready, hon, I’ve got Jackie on it, two or three hundred should do it-”

“Dad-”

“What’s our seating chart? Judy, hon, will the one banquet table be enough for all of them? Oh we’ll set three smaller tables just in case.”

“Guys, listen-”

“Oh, lord, I forgot about the pies!”

“Bonnie, I’m on top of it, I got Gideon to deliver six blueberry - you said they like blueberries, right, Jude? - they’ll be ready.”

“Just six?!”

“It’ll do for today!”

Judy sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Oh, well. They’ll find out soon enough. She dodged a rogue streamer that come fluttering down, bouncing little Lavender in her arms as the kit gummed absently at her ear.

“We’ll just keep it a surprise, won’t we?“ She whispered to her littlest sister and booped the tiny pink nose, eliciting a squeal of laughter. She expertly side-stepped Bobby-Lynn and Leslie as they fled from Gabin, who never seemed to not be ’it’.

Judy tucked herself away in the nursery for the time being, occasionally checking her phone for updates from her partner. They were making good time, eastbound on the train deep into the heart of Bunnyburrow. She was pleased to have the days off to get into town a few days early, but she suddenly wished she was taking the trip with him. Watching the winter-draped hills roll by through the windows as the train whispered on, the stars twinkling down the snowy landscape- there was something undeniably romantic about it.

Another buzz from her phone snapped her out of her daydream. She glanced at it, and stepped out to the railing over the Hopps burrow commons, shouting down to the Great Commanders below.

“UNCLE TERRY JUST PICKED THEM UP FROM THE TRAIN STATION!”

Things really kicked into gear then. The welcome wagon came alive as Jackie and the Snack Battalion set the tables, Jimmy lit the ceiling-high tree, Jamey, Janey, Morty, and Robin hung the last of the stockings, and music was set (the live band was forgone after Ginny’s sousaphone incident last year).

“Oh, boy howdy, Jude, I hope they’re ready for this,” Stu beamed putting an arm around his daughter’s shoulder as she joined the rest of the family on the ground floor. His worn trucker’s hat sported a festive twig of holly on the brim.

“When the Hopps put on a holiday, we really put on a holiday,” Bonnie added. “They’ll be welcomed just like family. I just hope we have enough room for them.”

“Oh, I don’t think we’ll need to worry,” Judy grinned, smoothing hear ears back coolly.

They all gathered around the windows, hundreds of wiggling bunny kits waiting with baited breath for their mysterious vulpine guests.

“I see uncle Terry’s van!”

“Nah uh, the glass is too foggy!”

“Can too!”

“Nuh uh!”

“They’re here!”

The house nearly exploded as there came a knock on the door. Stu dutifully stepped up with his wife to answer, but they were both intercepted by Judy, who smiled sweetly, and opened the door.

In from the gently falling snow came Nick Wilde smiling from ear to pointy ear, dressed in a thick blueberry-patterned hand-knit sweater, a long red scarf draped around his neck.

“Hello, Hopps!” He called, with a dramatic flourish of his paw in greeting. He had already met most of them via video-chat. He entertained the kits frequently with embellished tales adventures of Nick and Judy of the ZPD. This was their first real-life meeting, however.

“Happy holidays, Officer Wilde!” Responded a few hundred bunny kits as they had been coached.

The lanky orange fox stood aside, turning to introduce his family to the waiting crowd before him. A slight figure entered into the burrow with a frail shiver from the cold. She wore a plain, but well stitched pea coat the color of oak leaves in summer. A thick plaid scarf was tucked under her collar, and a black hood kept her ears safe from the cold. She was shorter than Nick, bearing herself with a more formal posture. Everything about the vixen spoke of a quiet grace, from the dark fur on her muzzle that had long ago made room for snowy patches of age, to the amber pools of her eyes.

“Stu, Bonnie,” introduced Nick. “This is my mom, Selene Wilde.”

Selene withdrew a delicate paw from the beige muffle, her claws painted a flawless cherry red. She doffed her hood, freeing her small, fuzzy ears. She offered the paw to the Hopps, with warm, sweet smile.

“Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Hopps, I’m so happy to meet you,” she said sweetly.

Stu and Bonnie’s faces were a special blend of confusion, expectancy, caution, and genuine welcome. Remembering her manners, Bonnie shook Selene’s hand warmly. Before she could greet her in the traditional Hopps holiday manner, someone in the back of the crowd voiced what they all felt.

“WHERES THE REST OF ‘EM?”

Judy visibly cringed, Stu and Bonnie’s faces falling in embarrassment. Nick opened his mouth with a disarming joke, but was interrupted by soft laughter.

“I’m sorry to say Nicky doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. Fate decided that he was enough of a handful for me.”

“Well,” said Bonnie, ever the diplomat. “We’re more than happy to have you and Nick with us. Please, come in!”

There was a flurry of activity as the kits were finally allowed to run around Nick and his mother, who set about shaking little paws and learning names and ruffling ears and answering questions. The officer was quickly overwhelmed as the bunnies found fewer and fewer personal boundaries.

“Judy? Judy, help!” He called as he looked back helplessly at her, sinking to the floor. Judy watched with glee as he was slowly swallowed by the swarm of kits treating him like a jungle gym.

“Kids, no, that is an officer of the law-!” Bonnie scolded them, rushing over to help.

“It’s too late, I’m afraid he’s gone forever,” said Selene solemnly.

“It’s really a shame, he’ll be missed,” agreed Judy, nodding. They laughed and embraced as Selene left a peck on Judy’s cheek.

“Would you like something warm to drink?” Offered the bunny.

“Oh, yes please,” smiled the vixen, following her to the kitchen as Nick cried out in vain against the horde.

The Hopps immediately ingratiated themselves to their guests, with Bonnie and Stu making lively conversation with Selene (”How is living in the city?” “Weather nice?” Much space for gardens?” “Ever had a real rhubarb pie?”), providing an endless source of embarrassment for Judy. Selene, for her part took everything in stride (”Oh, endlessly interesting; the stories I could tell…” “When it wants to be!” “There are a few nice little plots here and there, remind me to tell you about rooftop gardens…”), hitting it off with the two in smooth fashion. Judy eventaully wrangled the little ones from her partner, who looked to have aged a decade in the span of ten minutes.

Dinner was a lavish affair, as expected, though several tables went unused. Stu’s fears about the requirements of vulpine diets were unfounded, as Judy had assured. Nick tucked into the litany of steaming veggies and creamy soups and freshly buttered biscuits like he hadn’t eaten in days. Judy, seated next to him, acted as a guide around the plate, pairing this with that and which he should probably avoid. Selene was, of course, far more polite in her etiquette but no less enthusiastic about the quality of the food. She complimented each and every chef for their contribution. She even remembered their names. Their parents beamed.

After dinner - and after after-dinner cakes - the Hopps kits bundled up to take advantage of the piles of snow the sky had dropped on them. Nick and Judy, always apt to make something into a competition, quickly divided the group into two and waged a snowball fight to end all snowball fights.

Bonnie and Selene were content to rest on the porch next to a blazing fire pit, round glasses full of steaming orange liquid.

“Judy was always a trier,” Bonnie explained. “We did our best to discourage her, but, well, we see how that went.” She chuckled. “I have to admit- we were wrong.”

“She certainly is one in a million,” nodded Selene, a thick woolen blanket over her lap. “It took Nicky a little longer to get there, but I’m proud of him.” She smiled, looking warmly as her son peeked over the snow-trench and was subsequently assaulted by snowballs.

The opposing generals hurled handfuls of snow at one another. Judy tripped, stumbling in the snow. Nick was quicker, and caught her neatly before falling back into the snow himself, both laughing.

Bonnie pursed her lips as she watched them, mulling something over. She turned to the vixen, trying to find the best way to phrase an awkward question.

“Selene, do you… Do you think that-”

“Do I think that they are a little more than friends?” She smiled, and Bonnie suddenly realized just how much the son favored the mother.

Selene took a sip of her drink.

“The truth is, I don’t know. I learned long ago that Nicky’s feelings can be… hard to pin down. What I can tell you is this,” she turned to the rabbit with her warm amber eyes. “I love your daughter, Mrs Hopps. I love what she’s done for my city. She’s brought a life to it that I haven’t seen in a very, very long time. There’s more trust now, I think. There’s certainly more hope.

“Most of all, though- I love what she’s done for my son. Nicky has a light in his eyes that I thought had gone out a long time ago. There’s less bitterness in his voice. He calls me more. I don’t know how my son truly feels, but I know that his heart is in a better place. But if he loves her even half as much as I love her… Well, their relationship is truly something special.”

Bonnie stared at the older fox then back at her son, who was attempting to build an igloo for the kits with Judy’s assistance. She nodded, taking a long sip of the carrot wine.

“It certainly is,” she murmured.

When the moon was high in the sky and most of the kits were worn out, the Hopps and the Wildes marched indoors to warm up before the kits were put to bed. The fire was turned down, and presents were organized for easy division in the morning. Pajamas were broken out, and cookies distributed. The holiday had commenced on a lovely note.

As for whose idea it was to occupy the kits with stories of little Nick growing up in the big city to give two police officers on holiday leave some well-deserved time to themselves? Well, Selene wouldn’t know anything about that. And the sprig of mistletoe placed in just the right spot where no curious eyes may peek? Well, she wouldn’t know anything about that either.

What she did know was that her son was perfectly happy where he was, and that was good enough for her.


	7. The Elephant's Couch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy feel a little awkward while rooming together during a conference, until they decided to get over it.

“Well… uhm, goodnight, Nick.”

“Goodnight, Carrots.”

Nick turned over on his cushion, pulling the blanket over him as he curled up as tightly as possible. He laid his ears back, trying to get comfortable and staring at the wall.

Judy sighed and turned away from her partner, flopping over as she stretched out as much as possible. She splayed her ears out, pulling the blanket around her and staring at the opposite wall.

This is what they had to work with. Two enormous couch cushions, pulled apart a respectful distance. The stairs to the bedrooms on the second floor were made for elephants, and they had three more days left of the conference. The mere thought of going up and down those stairs day after day made their muscles ache. The recliner was someone’s sentimental favorite, the seat so worn and warped that sleeping on it would have been an exercise in pain. They regretted agreeing to stay at Bob’s lake house rather than opt for a hotel room like sensible cops.

All that was left was the enormous green couch downstairs. They couldn’t have just shared it; that would have been awkward. There was only one option. Pull the cushions to the floor and sleep (mostly) comfortably at a safe distance off the floor, and at a respectful distance apart.

Nick tried to close his eyes, but they didn’t want to shut. He stared at the wall, the patterns on the wallpaper swirling in the darkness. All he was aware of was Judy tossing and squirming on her cushion behind him, his ears twitching with every movement. He held his tail a little tighter.

Judy wanted to sleep; she really wanted to. But her eyes didn’t want to shut. She twitched and flopped, trying to find a comfortable position. Though she couldn’t see him, she knew Nick was curled into a little orange ball on the cushion behind her, breathing softly. Her ears drooped.

The conference was a typically dull, dry affair, with some formal speeches from the higher-ups, some awards and announcements from senior officers. Nick and Judy found a little relief in being minor celebrities. First rabbit and fox officers as well as the minds behind the big Nighthowler bust made for a lot of paw-shaking and congratulations. They didn’t leave each others’ side throughout the first day of the conference. Not that they wanted to; not that either would admit it.

Judy fingered the hem of the blanket, blinking at the darkness. It had been a really, really good day, but she couldn’t remember a single thing from the workshops to save her life. Oh, well, that’s what her notes were for. Well, the notes that weren’t covered in little jokes she and Nick slid between each other. Those she’d never throw away.

Nick clutched his blanket tighter than was necessary, letting his tail go. He tried to distract himself from the stir in his chest, but it was useless. He knew what it was. His skin tingled every single time she giggled at one of his jokes. He wanted to tease her ears, just to see them twitch. It was just a silly crush on a good friend, he thought. It would fade the longer they worked together, he hoped.

They stared at opposite walls, something heavy lingering in the two-foot space between their beds. They sighed in unison.

Judy stretched again, still searching for that sweet spot on the cushion that would take her to dreamland. She let her foot dangle off the edge, concentrating on clearing her mind. Which was very hard to do when a certain fox tail kept tickling her foot from across the gap in their beds.

“Nick, your stupid fluffy tail is on my side,” she murmured.

Nick’s ears perked as the sound of her voice. He smirked, swishing his tail a little more.

“Maybe it’s that gigantic rabbit foot that’s too close to my side,” he challenged.

“I’ll remind you these feet have saved your stupid fluffy tail more than once,” she shot.

“And I’ve had to shake this stupid tail to charm more than one criminal into not eating you alive, carrots,” he jabbed.

“Okay, that’s it!”

Nick had no time to react before a balled up blanket batted his backside with a fluffy ‘fwump’.

“Oh it’s on, fluff!”

He returned her challenge with gusto, and the two officers battered each other with folded blankets in lieu of pillows, lifting the midnight air with peals of laughter.

They soon forgot the blankets and grabbed each other’s shoulders, trying to unseat each other until they both tumbled to the floor between the cushions. They laughed until they were crying, not at anything particularly, just happy to hear each other laugh. Laughter gave way to sighs. The fox and the rabbit looked at each other for a long moment.

“This is stupid,” said Judy finally.

“What, the fact that two grown mammals just had a pillow fight like two sorority pledges?" 

"No, this,” she said, putting her paws up to the sides of the cushions to illustrate the distance. “We’re friends. We trust each other. We’re comfortable with each other. This is silly.”

He looked at the thick, green fabric, running the back of his paw against it.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

The cushions were pushed together as they were meant to be, and two blankets were thrown on top. Judy crawled underneath and popped her head out. Nick followed suit, stretching out beneath the thin blankets. These cushions were suddenly far more comfortable. 

He waited as the gray rabbit scooted up to him and nestled her head against his chest. His arms wrapped themselves around her little body by themselves, drawing her close. 

Judy nuzzled up to her partner, giving him an involuntary sniff. Not bad, she thought. He was nice and warm, too. This was the first person she’d shared a bed with since leaving Bunnyburrow, she mused. She draped her arms around his torso, more comfortable than she had been in recent memory.

“See? It’s fine. This is nice. Comfy?” She asked.

“Uh, mostly.”

The blanket, though covering up to her neck, left him bare at the shoulders.

Oh! Sorry!“ She wiggled upward and planted her nose in his neck, sighing softly. She felt like she could finally sleep now.

“It’s okay.” Nick held her, listening to her breathe against him. He couldn’t keep himself from smiling. This felt right in ways he couldn’t describe. Emboldened, he dared to leave a little kiss on her shoulder. She just giggled and rubbed her nose in his neck.

They lay on the cushy green bed under Judy’s carrot-print blanket, snuggled as tightly as a bunny and a fox could be.

“Nick?” asked Judy softly.

“Hmm?” his ears perked up.

“When we get back – when the conference is over – do you maybe, want to get coffee some time?”

“Well, sure,” he half-chuckled. “But, we get coffee together all the time, Carrots.”

“I know, but I mean… out of uniform. Just us. Just to talk.”

“…Okay,” he agreed. He bit his lip, trying to stop his thoughts from racing. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yeah, we do.” she agreed. There was a lot to discuss. But she didn’t feel anxious about it. She was looking forward to it.

They fell asleep, snuggled perfectly in each others’ arms.

The cushions stayed together for the next three nights.


	8. Just Listen

Direct confrontation isn’t really my bag, you know? I prefer the method where I talk the perp into the cuffs. Smooth, easy, no pain involved- it’s how I operate. My track record proves it. Well, my track record since joining the ZPD. Don’t look at any records before about two years ago. Please, I beg of you, don’t.

That’s what makes this particular situation less than… ideal. A diamond thief known for her particular brand of violence is snarling at me, backed into an alley without an escape, except through me.

And I really, really don’t want her to go through me.

“Don’t make this harder on yourself, Jewel,” I say, keeping it calm and smooth, just one step forward at a time. “Nice name, by the way, very subtle.”

I really need to learn to bite my tongue sometimes. Charging ahead without backup was another bone-headed move i’ve pulled more than once. Devilish good looks I have in spades, but I’m hardly intimidating.

“Don’t mess with me, cop!” She’s better at stealing precious gems than she is at comebacks. That doesn’t make her any less frightening, though; she’s small for a wolf, but still twice my size.

“We can work something out, trust me,” I try a different approach. Her teeth are bared, her fur is standing on end. Bad sign. She’s cornered, and what’s worse, she’s scared. Animals get unpredictable when they’re scared.

She steps back and trips over a box. She scrambles back in panic, ears flat. The sight hits a little close to home, and I feel my heart drop. Darn it.

I start to try again, but a little gray blur at my left stops me. Crap!

“Hands up, thief!” She squeaks. It would’ve been adorable if it weren’t for the huge, sizzling weapon in her paw.

“Carrots, back off!” I hiss. She doesn’t listen, ears up, taser drawn, advancing on Jewel on an absolute mission.

Jewel snarls again, and I hear the note of desperation, of fear, in it. My partner doesn’t. She steps forward again, and the wolf shrinks against the alley wall. I glance down, and my tail goes stiff. This is about to go very badly.

“You’ve got three seconds to comply!”

“Hopps, stop!”

“One!”

“Carrots!”

“Two!”

“Hopps!”

“One!”

“JUDY-!”

I don’t have a choice. I jump forward, grab the rabbit by her waist and haul her back away from Jewel. Before she could make a run for it, Fangmeyer and McHorn crowd the alley, cuffs out.

“What the heck, Nick?” Judy’s shouting at me. She braces her legs and pops out my grip like a pop bottle. Stupid strong bunny legs. “I had her!”

“Yeah? You handle that pretty well, did you?” I snap. “Wet paws and all?” I point out her soaked feet, and point out the huge puddle in the alley she had been standing in.

“If you pulled that trigger, you and the suspect would’ve been in really bad shape, Hopps,” I know i’m scowling, and it doesn’t feel good.

She looks down, and her ears drop.

“Oh. I didn’t see-”

“No, you didn’t,” I sigh. My cohorts are leading Jewel away in cuffs, the muzzle around her face. I catch her eye, and I feel like garbage. Poor kid. I’ll drop by her cell later.

“I was just doing my job, Nick” Judy picks the argument back up as we climb into the cruiser. I get in to the driver’s seat; I need the distraction. “She was dangerous and you could have been hurt.”

“She was scared and cornered, and I went in without backup. I made that mistake,” I keep my voice even, but I still can’t look at her. “And you popped around that corner looking for a fight.”

“I-I was…” she stumbles, and I put the key in the ignition. “I was just trying to protect you.”

I take a deep breath and smooth my ears out.

“That’s good, Hopps. Thank you. I’m glad you’re looking after me,” I turn to her and give her a smile. “But I can take care of myself. I knew what I was doing.”

She’s fiddling nervously with her seatbelt, her floppy ears drooping. She looks at me with those big bright eyes I can’t help but look into.

“You’re so important to me, Nick,” she says finally. “I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.”

Ugh, what a sweetheart. Between what happened with Jewel and Carrots pulling her concerned bunny routine, my heart’s doing cartwheels in my chest.

“And you to me, darlin’.” She liked that one. “But not every lawbreaker is out for blood. Some of them are just confused and frightened. Trust me, I’ve been where they are.”

She just nods.

“Sorry.”

“Your apology is noted and cataloged.” She rolls her eyes.

“Come on, there’s paperwork waiting for us.” I pat her knee and start the car.

“Okay. I’ll make the coffee.” She buckles up.

“Good bunny.”


End file.
